Evander Kane responds to allegations of gambling made by his'soon-to-be ex-wife.'
On Sunday, NHL star Evander Kane insisted that his pregnant wife's bombshell claims that he is a gambling addict who threw games for profit are "lies" — and that she is attempting to "jeopardize" his career as they prepare to divorce.
The San Jose Sharks forward blasted Anna Kane's allegations, referring to her as his "soon-to-be ex-wife."
“I would encourage people to recognize that someone who goes to this length to intentionally jeopardize another person's career is mentally ill,” he wrote on Twitter.
Kane stated that he spoke out against his legal team's advice because he "felt strongly that the public and fans should hear this directly from me."
“I have NEVER gambled/bet on hockey, NEVER on a Sharks game, NEVER on any of my games, and I have NEVER thrown a hockey game,” Kane wrote.
According to the Sharks forward, he "had the best season of my career last year and was the most consistent I've ever been throughout a season."
“I adore the sport of hockey and would never commit any of the alleged offenses. I'm looking forward to cooperating with the league's investigation, having my name cleared completely, and enjoying the upcoming season,” he said.
The National Hockey League announced Saturday that it had opened an investigation into the allegations following the athlete's wife's publication of a series of scathing Instagram stories.
“How is it that the NHL allows a compulsive gambler to continue playing when he is clearly rigging games to win money?” she wrote in one Instagram story. “Perhaps someone should address this.”
Anna appeared to suggest in another Instagram post that he gambled on his own games.
“Could someone please inquire as to how (Commissioner) Gary Bettman allows a player to gamble on his own games? Betting and winning on his own games with bookmakers?" she wrote.
Additionally, his wife described how the bank seized their home and asserted that the athlete abandoned her and their child while she was pregnant.
“So you're departing on July 8th. You refrain from calling or texting for seven days. Then you inform me that you're going to Europe for a vacation, which must be nice, but you also inform me that our house is being repossessed by the bank," she wrote.
“I'm not sure there are any words to describe the type of evil person you are for abandoning your pregnant wife and one-year-old daughter,” she wrote.
However, the Sharks forward insisted Sunday that Anna was preventing him from seeing his daughter.
“I've received a few FaceTime calls, but not on a daily basis. I wish I could, but I am constrained by her mother. She has refused to meet with me and, unfortunately, has attempted to use my daughter as leverage,” he explained.